Posted on 12/23/2005 4:39:24 AM PST by truthandlife
Victoria Osteen, the wife of Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, said an incident that delayed a Continental Airlines flight for two hours earlier this week was "a minor misunderstanding."
Osteen posted a "Letter from Victoria" on the church's official Web site Wednesday, saying the Monday incident resulted from her choice "to remove myself from the situation."
Osteen left the plane, Continental Flight 1602, with her husband and their two children. The family took another flight to Vail, Colo., where they are taking a ski vacation.
A church spokesman said the family left the plane voluntarily.
However, FBI Special Agent Luz Garcia has said that the Osteens were asked to leave the jetliner after "an altercation."
Garcia also said that Victoria Osteen "failed to comply" with instructions from a flight attendant.
The FBI said the airline contacted the agency about the incident. The agency decided not to investigate.
Continental Airlines spokeswoman Julie King declined any further comment about the incident Thursday.
"There have been various accounts of an incident that occurred on one of our flights, and I have issued earlier statements about that," King said. "We can confirm that there are no remaining issues between Continental and those passengers. ... Both parties feel no further comment is necessary."
King declined to comment on Victoria Osteen's explanation of the incident.
In her letter, which can be read at at www.lakewood.cc, Osteen stated:
"Regardless of how some have portrayed the situation, please know that it was truly a minor misunderstanding and did not escalate into what you saw or read in the news. Contrary to those reports, it was my choice to remove myself from the situation. Nonetheless, it was a most unfortunate event and I truly regret that it happened."
Osteen's letter continued, "The last thing I would ever want to do is let any of you down. And I promise you that I did not act in any way that would cast a bad light on you, my family, Lakewood Church or our Lord Jesus Christ. I value the position that God has placed me in and I can assure you that I will always walk in love and integrity. While I am not perfect, I will always seek to be a peacemaker and seek the high road."
The incident apparently stemmed from a spilled liquid on Osteen's seat in the first class section of the airplane. A church spokesman said the spill was not cleaned up to Osteen's satisfaction, and the family left the plane voluntarily.
Joel Osteen is a nationally known author of self-help books, including the best-selling Your Best Life Now. He became pastor of Lakewood Church in 1999. The church, in the former Compaq Center, is one of the nation's largest with more than 30,000 weekly participants in church services.
Negative-role model for Christians bump...
Thankfully I dont have to fly frequently. I do have a rule If its a ten hour drive or less Drive it.
I am 2 hours from the airport. You are supposed to arrive 2 hours before a flight , add another two hours flight time and half hour waiting for baggage, then an hour getting to where you want by rental car and it just isnt worth it to fly for a ten hour drive. Add in that sometimes the plane is late leaving or the flight gets cancelled or the plane sent somewhere else to land because of a thunderstorm and its just not worth it.
Ya know what?
If she did lose her cool so what?
She is a Human Being.
Not Jesus Christ.
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
We all blow it from time to time and not admitting our short comings is saying we are perfect and if that was the case we would all be Gods.
She would be more earnest in saying I over reacted or what ever the situation was that got her tossed off the flight.
How about I am sorry? What is wrong with admitting ones screw ups.
Kinda would make the whole Sacrificial Lamb event mute.
Actually you were fed enough.
Try tasting food and not eating it.
If you are sitting on a plane you don't need fuel in your body unless your flapping your wings all the way.
BTW I have not flown in a decade but they used to give us hot towels and they did chair arobics before we landed. Do they still do that?
Hey here is a twist on the story.
My twist.
What if the Flight Attendant was a Atheist DUmmie who chose to pick on Mrs. Olsteen?
No, I wasn't fed enough. And, for $1,000 a ticket more, I think I should have gotten the whole sandwich if I wanted. Who the hell do you think you are? TRY TASTING THE FOOD? That's a laugh. If I remember correctly, I've seen a picture of you, and it looks like you taste ALOT of food.
Sad women you are.
Did you miss the exit to Hell?
You never know. I'd say there's a good chance...
Never heard of these people until this incident.
I thought it was Claude's kids.
I guess so, as we've never met.
Touche!
:)
A couple of years ago I was seated on a plane next to a woman who had been a stewardess in the 1960's and 70's. She told me that she used to serve multi-course gourmet meals. Looking down at the box lunches from our flight, she said: "It's a sad world we live in now."
That was a few years ago...now...you have to BUY those box lunches in coach ($3).
Since the succes of his book, he takes no salary from his church.
You all know that if this had been a movie star (Oprah or Barbara or George or Alec) we wouldn't have even heard about this. On the contrary, the stewardess would have fallen all over herself doing whatever was asked of her. No body seemed to mind when Laura Flynn Boyle was going from bed to bed in her drug-induced state, trying to crawl into bed with whomever..
No, it is my opinion that when the flight crew saw this Conservative Christian would be aboard the plane they made up there mind he would be a problem and if he wasn't, they would make him one. Anti-Christrian bias prevails everywhere.
He's not a conservative Christian
"What's prejudiced about pointing out that a minister of the Gospel seems to be raking in enough dough that he can pay double ($1478/RT for First Class versus $743/coach from Houston to Vail) for a 2-and-a-half hour flight?"
Ever heard of frequent flyer miles?
Hi, did you know that Joel Osteen doesn’t take a salary from the church? =)Maybe he has other income like books which is not little peoples money and I know that they gave around a mill to Katrina victims and are givers to many other things. Maybe this will help you feel better. There are some good people left. God loves you.
According to you Jesus must have been just barely getting by or impoverished. Funny how the Bible depicts a different message. Ever heard of Judas assigned as TREASURER by Jesus. Since when do middle class or impoverished people need a treasurer. If Judas had a simple perfume equal to one years wage I would say Jesus was wealthy. He just used it to advance his kingdom.
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